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Poster: Shrim79 Date: Oct 19, 2013 9:07pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

Really like the "Anthem of the Sun" album, and really dig the track "Victim or the Crime," but really haven't been that impressed by their other stuff. Are there any shows with a less overtly cheerful vibe, something a little louder or darker than how they sound in the studio?

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Poster: Quincy Date: Oct 20, 2013 3:42am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

Check out 10/26/89.

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Poster: David Beckwith Date: Oct 21, 2013 7:28am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

10-26-89 for sure...another one that sticks out is 12-2-73.

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Poster: ColdRain108 Date: Oct 21, 2013 8:53am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

This one scared the crap out of me when it happened. Blue gels helped with the vibe. Bobby's voice is rough like he had a cold. Phil was into his new toy - and the crazy sounds it could make. Some spooky places they took us to.

http://archive.org/details/gd1982-12-26.sbd.miller.81602.sbeok.flac16

There was some freak-out energy in the hall that night.

IME, any 80's show with Bird Song as the first set closer would be a good choice for a dark freaky show.

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Poster: Incornsyucopia Date: Oct 20, 2013 5:02am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

There most definitely are as some have already pointed out. The problem with your question, though, is that while there are many sections (probably thousands) of different shows that would qualify, overall the Dead were about creating a musical journey through a variety of emotional states. Even the 10/26/89 show, which has become somewhat legendary as one of their darkest, opens with "Foolish Heart" and closes with "We Bid You Goodnight"—hardly dark, moody songs. Same goes for "Not Fade Away," "Don't Ease Me In" or "Blow Away." But then the "Dark Star" until "The Wheel" definitely fits what you're looking for.

Things I'd recommend, "Dark Star" from 11/11/73 (super interesting and moody although it does end up happy), 12/6/73 (longest one without interpolations of other songs) and, famously, 8/27/72 (very dark!). The "Playing in the Band" from 8/27/72 and 7/29/88 too. Pretty much any "Dark Star," "Other One" (2/5/78 for example is short, but really dark) and "Playing in the Band" (well, the jam segments anyway) would be worth checking out. So would a lot of "Drums>Spaces."

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Poster: jerlouvis Date: Oct 19, 2013 10:27pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

The Dead's studio music is a waste of time.Here is some good live Grateful Dead music.They have a song part of their catalog and a more adventurous sort of improv part of their catalog.The improv repertoire is where it's at.

The Eleven through New Potato Caboose on this show is top notch.

http://archive.org/details/gd1968-10-12.sbd.miller.115593.flac16

Dark Star from this show is a standout,it takes off at 6:30.

http://archive.org/details/gd69-06-07.sbd.kaplan.9074.sbeok.shnf

Another Dark Star,but a completely different beast.The music after the first verse at about 17:15 through the end will bend your brain some,but the playing throughout is inspired.

http://archive.org/details/gd1972-07-18.sbd.miller.32878.flac16

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Poster: SaintSteveg Date: Oct 21, 2013 9:20am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

Wow. A waste of time? May I assume you do not care for albums/CDs in general as a performance form? I myself always prefer live music from any band, especially the Dead, but I would hardly call their studio work of waste of time. Anthem of the Sun. Workingman's Dead. American Beauty. Blues for Allah. Terrapin Station. In the Dark. There are in fact things that can be done/explored in a studio setting that are not possible on stage, and to me the Grateful Dead were as creative there as anyone, and made some genuinely inspiring and good listening work.

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Poster: Phlesh Wound Date: Oct 21, 2013 10:50am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

I myself wouldn't exactly go that far, I think both American Beauty and Workingman's Dead are two wonderful additions to American music as a whole and are indispensable to anyone interested in "classic rock". That said, I really don't think that the sound of their studio material has held up at all. It has a very very dated 70s sort of quality to it, excessively produced. They a seperate the vocals out of the mix way too much and stick a ton of reverb on them to give the harmonies this kind of ethereal quality that does not sound good in this day and age. By and large it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Just one man's 2 cents.

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Poster: bluedevil Date: Oct 21, 2013 11:20am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WycvYhKW08

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Poster: jerlouvis Date: Oct 21, 2013 12:20pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

After 37 years and countless hours spent listening to live recordings I see no reason to listen to studio gimmickry and sanitized versions of the music. While American Beauty and Workingman's Dead might be fine recordings they are fabrications of a studio environment and have very little in common with the songs we became familiar with through live performance.

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Poster: ColdRain108 Date: Dec 30, 2013 9:45pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

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This post was modified by Little Sense on 2013-12-31 05:45:09

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Poster: AltheaRose Date: Oct 20, 2013 8:41pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

Um, try the Velvet Underground instead?

Seriously, I'd echo the journey-through-states-of-the-soul comment; there's a fair amount of dark and intense, but it always comes out the other side in some form (without being Pollyanna-ish), and certainly the lyrics aren't in the Victim-of-the-Crime mode. Although Wharf Rat ... hmmmm ... that can get pretty moody and intense ...

On the whole, for a darker/louder/edgier ride, I'd recommend exploring the '60s. There's a reason Anthem sounds like it does.



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Poster: Deadhead225 Date: Oct 20, 2013 11:21am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

I believe you can find some twisted darkness in set II of this gem:

http://archive.org/details/gd1983-09-06.mtx.seamons.95820.sbeok.flac16

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Poster: Shrim79 Date: Oct 21, 2013 9:17am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Any dark, moody Dead shows?

Thanks to all who've responded, I've got a LOT of shows to check out now! :)